1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an improvement in the field of airborne metal detecting systems and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a method and arrangement for transmitting a radar signal from a flying vehicle and detecting radiation reflected from a camouflaged metal target by receivers connected to antennas carried on a flying vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the art of directing a cruise missile or a bomb from a flying vehicle a difficulty has arisen when a large metal target such as a tank or a missile launcher has been concealed from visual sight by camouflage or by natural foliage cover. When such large metal target has been so concealed the systems which have been heretofore used for the detection of targets and the direction of a cruise missile or other bomb to the target have been relatively ineffective due to the success of such concealment. Thus, a real need has existed for a system that will effectively penetrate such concealment and detect such metal targets. It is believed that the method and arrangement of the present invention provides a significant advance in the detection of metal targets and the vectoring of missiles and bombs to such targets.
The prior art patents do not reveal any methods or arrangements that appear to be of primary interest. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,823,402; 3,829,861; and 4,730,194 are interest only in the fact that they disclose trailing wire antennas employed with flying aircraft. However, such patents are only directed to communication systems and are not utilized in any respect with a airborne metal detection radar system or any method employing such. U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,515 discloses a three antenna system but such three antennas are used only in cooperation with a Doppler navigation system for controlling a moving aircraft and measuring its motion. This patent is in no respect directed to a method and arrangement for an airborne metal target detecting radar system.